A new chapter in the history of handball began on Thursday, 7 May, in Basel, Switzerland, as the International Handball Federation officially opened the doors of its brand-new headquarters in a ceremony that brought together some of the most prominent figures in world sport.

The event was lifted by the presence of IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa and Honorary IOC President Dr Thomas Bach, whose attendance underlined the significance of the occasion for the broader global sporting community. Member Federation representatives, dignitaries, partners and staff gathered to witness a milestone that has been years in the making and decades in the dreaming.

The ribbon-cutting, accompanied by the IHF Anthem, marked the formal inauguration of a building that will serve as the central hub of the IHF's global operations, a place where strategy is shaped and the future of handball is written.

"This is a proud day for our sport and for our federation," said IHF President, Dr Hassan Moustafa. "This house is a symbol of everything we stand for - our unwavering commitment to growing handball in every corner of the world."

 

Spanning six floors and a total area of 4,869 square metres, the new IHF House has been purpose-built to meet both current and future needs. Its 3,089 square metres of office and social spaces will serve as the operational heart of the federation, supporting coordination between the IHF Office and its 211 Member Federations across the globe. The building also features 281 square metres of storage and 1,499 square metres of secondary usable areas, including parking.

Situated in a prime location in the heart of Basel, just a short walk from the city's historic old town, the building boasts outstanding connectivity. The principal motorways are only eight minutes away, while the famous border triangle of Switzerland, France and Germany can be reached in approximately ten minutes, placing the new IHF House firmly at the crossroads of Europe. EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg provides seamless international access for the countless delegations and visitors expected to pass through these doors in the years ahead.

"Standing here today in this magnificent new headquarters, I can only offer my warmest congratulations. I even notice the wonderful gardens outside, with all the flowers in full bloom, and I hope that is a beautiful symbol for what lies ahead. Just as those flowers are blossoming in such vivid, colourful splendour, so too may the IHF continue to blossom, to grow and to reach even greater heights in service of this wonderful sport of handball," said the Honorary IOC President, Dr Thomas Bach.

 

Beyond its operational function, the new headquarters has been envisioned as a living, breathing home for the entire handball family. The building will also serve as an educational hub, hosting international coaching courses, development programmes, commission meetings and IHF forums, centralising expertise and knowledge-sharing for Member Federations and handball professionals at every level.

In the future, the building will also be home to a handball museum and library, a space dedicated to celebrating the sport's rich heritage and inspiring the next generation of players, coaches and fans.

For Thursday's ceremony, the walls of the new IHF House were adorned with memorabilia from across the sport's history, alongside 125 photographs carefully selected from the IHF archive, images that tell the story of handball's growth, passion and global reach, spanning continents, generations and unforgettable moments.

The purchase agreement for the new headquarters was signed in May 2025, following a negotiation process that extended over nearly a year. a reflection of the federation's determination to secure the most strategic and beneficial outcome for handball's long-term future.